Kamei Eri joined in late 2003 as a sixth generation member along with Fujimoto Miki, Michishige Sayumi, and Tanaka Reina.

Kamei was selected from the Morning Musume Love Audition 2002 to join Morning Musume as a member of the sixth generation. She first appeared on the single “Shabondama” and her first album was Ai no Dai 6 Kan.

Towards late 2004, Kamei is thought to have opened up after receiving her own segment on the Japanese variety show Hello! Morning, where she had been a regular since her debut. In the segment, known as “Eric Kamezou no Maido Arii!” (エリック亀造の毎度ありぃ!,“Eric Kamezō no Maido Arii!”), she, along with her co-host Nakazawa Yuko, and most often several guests promote the latest products from the Hello! Project. Her segment was removed from the show in the winter of 2005, but she still starred in the rest of the show as a regular.

In 2004, Kamei appeared in the 2004 Hello! Project shuffle units unit H.P. All Stars. She was also involved in Morning Musume Sakuragumi when Morning Musume was split into two groups.

She was LinLin and JunJun’s tutor (as seen in Alo Hello!). She was shy and didn’t speak much, but she later became more outgoing, which she showed by her short haircut.

Initially, Kamei struggled the most out of the sixth generation to create a presence for herself. She got her big break playing the role of field reporter Elizabeth Kyamei on the HelloPro News segment on Hello! Morning, showing her comedic side and breaking her out of her shell. She has since tackled a number of comedic roles, with notable favorites like her parody of Yon-sama (Korean actor Bae Yong Jun). She even got her own corner as salesman Eric Kamezou in Eric Kamezou no Maido Ari.

Kamei has since gone on to establish herself as a boke-type character, in which one acts like a fool and says weird, stupid or random things. Her “my pace” (meaning doing things her own way) personality makes this a natural comedy style for her and she is often paired with Niigaki Risa as her tsukkomi (the straight, more serious character of the boke-tsukkomi comedy style, which is the person who has to correct, keep in line, make excuses for or otherwise take the burden of the boke character).

For the first time in her career in Morning Musume, Kamei was given the center position for the choreography of an A-side in Kimagure Princess, though lead vocals still went to Takahashi Ai.

On July 2009 it was revealed that Kamei Eri would form part of Tanpopo # along with Mitsui Aika, Kumai Yurina, and Okai Chisato.

On 8/8 it was announced that Kamei Eri, along with Jun Jun and Lin Lin were to graduate from Morning Musume and Hello! Project at the end of Morning Musume’s Concert Tour 2010 ~Rival Survival~ tour on 12/12.

Kamei stated that the reason to graduate was due to her health and that she plans to undergo treatment for a skin condition she has known as Atopic Dermatitis.

Trivia

Kamei is really good friends with Tanaka Reina, Michishige Sayumi and Niigaki Risa.

She studied classical dance for 8 years before joining Morning Musume

Kamei is really bad at drawing, but, it was later discovered she was a great artist when she was younger.

Next to Michishige Sayumi, she is one of the worst cooks in Morning Musume.

She is extremely connected with turtles, as her last name indicates (Kame=Turtle).

She is extremely disorganised, so much so that Michishige Sayumi has to remind her of some things.

Attended a private middle school and a private high school.

She has an older brother and a younger sister.

She auditioned because she “wanted to change herself.”

When she first joined, Kamei stated that she liked small tight spaces, even saying she liked packed trains.

Many fans credit her stint as Elizabeth Kyamei, and later, her drastic hairstyle change to a short cut, as the start of her image change into a bubbly, burikko type role.

Like Fujimoto Miki, she is infamous for her lack of drawing skill.

Kamei stated on the radio program “Young Town Douyoubi” (aired on 2006.06.17) that her father named her “Eri” after his favorite Southern All Stars song, “Itoshi no Ellie.”

Usually wears perfume. When she was younger and wanted to try it out for the first time, she wasn’t sure what to pick so she went into her older brother’s room and tried out his.

She likes western clothing.

She is a morning person.

She said she goes to sleep really fast after work, around 10:30.

In her first Yorosen episode as teacher, she stated that she had a tuna fetish.